Even though Canning landed another brace, there was just the minimum between the sides in the dying moments, when Mikey Heffernan, who had scored after coming on, set up wing-back Martin Walsh -- a brother of Kilkenny All-Star Tommy -- to fire over the equaliser.

LIT manager Davy Fitzgerald said that his side will benefit from their first Fitzgibbon Cup outing of the season, but he lamented letting the holders off the hook.

"We should have won it. But it was a good display and we can learn from it and push on," said the Clare boss.